Non-chalant attitude to monumental projects stalls Ondo development, says Akeredolu

• Group urges proper monitoring of state governorship poll
• Alleges plan to use manipulated card readers for election
• PDP asks Nigerians to hold APC responsible for INEC’s burnt office

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu at the weekend said that the non-chalant attitude of his immediate past predecessor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to monumental projects inherited from the past, had marred the progress of the state.

Akeredolu disclosed this while receiving leaders of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), who dumped Mimiko to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the October 10, 2020 governorship poll.

The ZLP leaders, who are from the Ese-Odo home-town of the deputy governor and candidate of the party, Agboola Ajayi, said they chose to support Akeredolu’s re-election to enable him finish all the projects in the state.

The former ZLP Deputy State Chairman, Abayomi Adebayo, who led over 2,500 members of the ZLP, among who were chairmen of the 18 local councils, to APC, said they decided to partner with Akeredolu after taking a cursory look at the economy of the state and the gap created by the immediate past administration.

IN another development, a non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Progressive Professionals Forum (PPF), has urged Nigerians to prevent an alleged collusion between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming governorship election in Ondo State.

The outcry, even to the international community, was a reaction to the fire outbreak reported at the state office of INEC in which about 5,100 card readers were reportedly burnt.

The PPF National Publicity Secretary, Hassan Isiaka, in a statement made available to newsmen in Akure, yesterday, urged probe into the activities of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Rufus Akeju and an INEC Commissioner, Festus Okoye, whose visit to the state coincided with the fire outbreak.

MEANWHILE, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Nigerians to hold the APC responsible for the burning of INEC head office in Akure, Ondo State.

National Publicity of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, while briefing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, noted that the attack on the Ondo INEC office came after APC former chairman in the state, Isaac Kekemeke, allegedly boasted that the APC would use violence to rig the October 10 election.

The party said it was equally aware of plots allegedly by the APC to attack other INEC facilities in the state in its desperation to cripple the commission and impede the conduct of a credible poll.

It, therefore, urged the security agencies to check the violence by immediately inviting Governor Akeredolu, Kekemeke and other APC leaders in the state for questioning ahead of the election.